A Catholic Blog
A priest writing reflections on theology, philosophy, and Catholicism. I'll occasionaly write movie reviews, rants, and discussion topics. I write from my experiences, personal and intellectual, for my benefit and yours (should you get any from it). None of what I write is official or representative of my diocese or parish, just my semi-public attempt at figuring things out and sharing it with you for the sake of dialogue.

Friday, May 29, 2015

This is sad for a number of reasons:
(1):
"That’s
because “Catholics” includes not just worshipers who attend Mass weekly
and perhaps tilt in a more conservative direction but those who go less
frequently and those for whom Catholicism is as much an ethnic as a
religious identity."

Catholics who identify themselves as
cultural and claim that their views are inspired by their Catholicism,
when really its inspired by pluralistic influences, should not say
"because of my Catholicism."

Not participating in the sacraments
whatsoever and no taking even the slightest time to understand what the
Church teaches (or read Scripture) is doing a disservice to one's
conscience.

In that same vein, (2):

"We journalists too
often use “the Catholic Church” as a synonym for the pope, the cardinals
and teachings that have the Vatican’s stamp of approval.
But in
Europe and the Americas in particular, the church is much more fluid
than that. It harbors spiritually inclined people paying primary
obeisance to their own consciences, their own senses of social justice.
That impulse and tradition are as Catholic as any others."

Primary obedience to one's conscience is not a blank check to do and act
as you please, but a right given to all to exercise their free will to
the best of their ability and knowledge.
One's conscience formed
by his or her own convictions and preferences is not a "Catholic
Conscience," but a "church-of-me" conscience. The Church can and won't
infringe upon anyone's free will, but she does reserve the right, by
virtue of her teaching and authority, to say if a given claim is
erroneous, heretical, or schismatic to Catholicism and truth. So it is
with myself or with anyone else who says they are Catholic, we must be
humble in light of what is taught and obedient to the Church through a
conscience formed by the Cross, a daily incorporation of Scripture,
understanding of Tradition, and guidance from one's spiritual leaders.

Blame should probably fall on priests, myself included, who are not a
steady witness to the Gospel, but rather seek comfort in those who agree
with them and in topics of universal agreement, such as feeding the
poor (which still isn't done enough, along with other corporal works of
mercy), as opposed to preaching the Gospel on matters of gay marriage,
divorce, contraception, the dignity of all persons, war, and the death
penalty (things which pertain, I think, to spiritual works of mercy).

It's difficult to preach on these difficult issues without hijacking
the mass which, in turn, makes the sacraments of the Church vehicles of
personal preference as opposed to sources of life-giving grace. Yet we
and our faithful don't do much before or after mass to build off that
grace to grow in knowledge of our Church. So when should we talk about
them? It's worth discussing, I think.

Thus, with brief reference
to this article, advocating for gay marriage, even in a Catholic country
and saying that it is a result of a Catholic conscience is, in my
opinion, erroneous as best (insofar as they are mistaken about Church
teaching) and those who proclaim it publicly (knowing consciously the
teachings of the Church), with the intention of persuading other
Catholics into seeing it as a "Catholic answer/alternative," speak in a
heretical fashion. Neither of these actions are/become sinful unless
those who hold to it as a Catholic position are obstinate and refuse to
discuss it with their local, spiritual leader (typically a priest or
deacon; or bishop). Catholics may, out of respect for their consciences,
hold gay marriage as a personal belief, but publicly proclaiming it as
coming from Catholicism is wrong.

My opinion is that most people
simply speak in error because they have been taught to let "their
conscience be their guide" while never being taught how to form it for
themselves. "Do not be carried away by all manners of strange teaching"
(Heb 13:9), rather, "test everything, hold onto what is good" (1 Thes
5:21). "Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions
that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of
ours." (2 Thes 2:15)

**tl;dr verson:**
It's time we as
Catholics actually started forming our consciences, priests included,
and be in genuine discourse with each other and the Tradition.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

(Note: This was originally a homily given at Pentecost on May 24, 2015. I did not have a script and so the written version is a near-facsimilie, but lacking the timing and effect I went for when speaking publicly).

On this holy feast of Pentecost I would like us to reflect on the Spirit
and His work in our lives, namely that there are two ways which we use
one: we can use it to mean “alone” and we can use it to mean “together.”

How
is it that we’re alone? Paul in Galatians tells us that the works of
the flesh rip us apart and isolate us. The works of the flesh are envy,
greed, immorality, immodesty, lack of chastity, wrath and anger,
rivalry, and hatred (cf., Gal 5:16-19). We see this in our own lives and
we’ve all had these feelings. But we must recognize that these acts are
acts of power and control where we seek to impose our will on the world
and others, taking from the weak, the helpless, and those we consider
less than ourselves. These aspects gather all things to ourselves, but
isolate us and make us one and alone.

But the Spirit is something
better and greater. Humility, patience, gentleness, faithfulness, and
love. Each of these acts, paradoxically, ask us to give of ourselves
little by little, lifting the other up in charity and peace.

I
find no better example of this notion of alone and together than in
families. If a spouse, or even indeed a child, is greedy, jealous,
domineering, ungrateful, or mean-spirited, it tears a family apart. But
if all members of a family are patient, patient with each other’s
shortcomings, humble, knowing that they are not perfect or always right,
gentle in chiding them to a better life in Christ, and loving—that is,
self-sacrificing—than that family will stand firm for generations, in
life and in death. We all know of our weaknesses, whether they are
sexual, or matters of pride, jealousy, envy, gossip, or laziness. We all
share in these weaknesses of the flesh, but through grace we share in
the strength of the Holy Spirit.

It is the Spirit that affords us
these graces which God pours out so generously upon us. It is the
Spirit that allowed the Apostles to speak many languages, so that all
peoples and ages might hear one message. That one message is the love of
the Father, the victory of Christ Jesus over sin and death—a victory we
baptized share in, the presence of the Spirit of truth, and that the
Church, the bride of Christ, shares the glorious work of God on earth.

One
more image that I think is useful for us is the very bread that we
bless and consecrate at the holy altar. The bread that we use is made of
many grains, formed into one with water, and then finally baked by
fire.

We too, because of the work of the most blessed Trinity,
are made into one. We are gathered, all of us varied and different, by
the will of the Father. He calls us together and, through the blood of
the Son, we are prepared as one. Lastly, the Spirit, who is rightly
symbolized as a holy flame, perfects us in love and grace so that we
might become holy, that is like God. Thus we, brothers and sisters, are
prepared as a bread pleasing to almighty God, but not merely for Him,
but for the whole world. The blood and water that poured from Christ’s
side on the Cross prepare us for this task, and the Spirit strengthens
us along the way.

Like Christ, we are one Body and one Bread,
prepared for the world and given up for the sake of the world. For
everyone, not only us Catholics, but for all of our brothers and
sisters. We are given up for their sins, their weaknesses, and the evil
that they do, for we know that we too share in all the same weaknesses
and faults. We, nonetheless, rely on the power of the Trinity to make us
an acceptable offering for the whole world so that all of us, so many
scattered and alone, may be one in Spirit and in truth.

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Just a message from me. Recently, on May 16th, 2015, I was ordained a priest. Needless to say the time leading up to it and the following times have been a little crazy. All the same, it's been wonderful. As soon as I enjoy a little time off I hope to start writing again.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions through the comments or the provided e-mail.